Bond, James Bond

Like many car owners, Harry Yeaggy had his pride and joy on display at the recent Ault Park Concours d'Elegance. Only his isn't a restored classic from yeasteryear. A few years back, this banker bought one of the two actual cars used in the first two James Bond movies, Goldfinger and Thunderball. To say this 1964 Aston Martin DB 5 was modified would be a total understatement. As the only known surviving original Bond car, this was the ultimate tricked out ride.

This car, which cost Yeaggy $4.6 million at auction, is in original condition and other than the various and numerous cool movie gadgets, is really a basic DB 5 which sports four liter, six cylinder Vantage engine that gets 282 horse power.

Had an Aston competitor not been reluctant to sacrifice a couple of their cars to an unknown film, this may have very well become just another ordinary DB 5. The filmmakers originally approached Jaguar about using an E Type even though in Ian Flemming's original book Bond drove an Aston Martin DB Mk III. Jaguar said no and the rest, as they say, is cinema history.

At the Concours it was very crowded around this car as could be expected. Still, here are some shots that show the details of this piece of cinema history. Now if only I could get to drive it and not sit in the passenger seat.